Our Mission:
BORN FROM A PASSION, FOUNDED ON A NEED FOR QUALITY, COMPETENT DECOYS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO EQUIPPING INDIVIDUALS FOR THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RIGORS OF HELPER WORK
Services Offered
Decoy School
Our foundation and true passion is our 3-day decoy school offered to police departments who wish to train and develop decoys. Taught by Jason Buhl, Drew Richardson, and Mark Monsini, attendees will get a unique perspective from two working police K9 handlers. We have come to understand and value what it means for police department K9 units to have effective training decoys. We do not believe in unnecessary drills and/or excessive downtime. This 3-day course is fast-paced and physically demanding, covering a wide range of topics including but not limited to:
Tug work
Sleeve presentation
Hidden sleeve work
Bite suit
Back tie exposure
Down field apprehension
Frontal targetting
Leg bites
Dynamic catching
Drive recognition
In conjunction with training decoys, we provide the opportunity to assess department K9s and address challenges they may be experiencing with regard to elevating various drive states and improving apprehension work.
About Us
Jason is one of the co-founders of K9 Engagement LLC. He has over 17 years of police experience with 12 years spent in the K9 unit. He has worked three patrol dogs including a dual-purpose German Shepherd, and two Belgian Malinois. In addition to his service, he has participated as a USPCA Decoy for regional trials and is heavily involved in K9 candidate selection for multiple agencies. He is routinely sought out to decoy for annual certifications for numerous departments across the region. In addition to being an assistant trainer for his department’s K9 unit, Jason maintains his knowledge with re-certifications and maintenance training, K9 first aid, K9 aggression and decoy classes. Helper work is his passion over all other aspects of dog training which is reflecting in his 15 years of catching dogs. Decoy work is something that he hopes to increase awareness and development of in other departments.
Drew is one of the co-founders of K9 Engagement LLC. Currently entering his 10th year of policing he is working a Shepherd/Malinois mix, dual purpose dog. Long before becoming a member of the K9 unit Drew found one of his favorites hobbies, decoy work. After attending multiple decoy courses under different instructors, decoying has turned into a passion. Along with Jason, Drew is one of a select few to whom handlers trust to work their dogs. He has caught multiple dogs from different agencies for annual certifications, training schools, as well as dynamic/tactical scenarios. Recognizing this demanding and evolving field of work, Drew continues to develop his knowledge and skill through progressive and challenging training. A trait that he hopes to pass on to others who have a desire to improve their own decoying abilities.
K9 Engagement is excited to introduce the newest team member. Mark has already proven to be an asset to K9 Engagement and will continue to do so as a partner. Mark has been a police officer for about 9 years and currently serves in a dual capacity as a K9 handler and SWAT Officer. He knew from a young age that working a dog as a police officer was his goal and along the way he developed a passion and skill set as a decoy. He has 8 years of experience catching dogs and has attended numerous decoy seminars, integration courses, and K9 first aid courses. Mark regularly decoys for his agency’s K9 unit. Mark has also been asked by outside agencies to assist with training, and he is routinely sought out to catch for annual certifications. He hopes to continue to grow as a valuable decoy and become highly involved in future training and selection while spreading his knowledge to others willing to challenge themselves.
Testimonials
"Jason and Drew from K9 Engagement were both professional and knowledgeable. Their passion for canine decoying was evident throughout the entire course. This course had no filler and got straight to learning the fundamentals of decoying and CATCHING DOGS. For those who don’t have time or money to waste this is the course for you." -Deputy Atkins
"Being a newer handler and this being my first decoy school, Drew and Jason were great to learn from. From the start it was easy to tell the amount of knowledge they bring to the table when it comes to catching dogs. They cut right to the chase and give you the fundamentals and teach you the proper techniques to keep you and the dogs safe. Anyone looking for a no nonsense school, should definitely contact K9 Engagement." -Deputy Phelps
"The progression and repetition you'll receive from Jason and Drew with K9 Engagement will give you the skills and confidence you need for effective helper work." -Ofc. Monsini
“Motivated instructors who are very knowledgeable, informative and take great pride and passion in what they do. They dont just show you how to do it, they make sure your understand how to perform it and explain the mechanics behind it from the decoy's perspective, the dogs and the handlers. These guys are going to help a bunch of handlers throughout there career become succesfull decoys as well as great handlers. Thanks Guys it was much appreciated” - Officer M Randall
“K9 Engagement's two day course was an immediate asset to my department's training program. The class was able to cover an in-depth selection of topics pertaining to basic targeting, prey drive building, defensive drive engagement, and recognizing the ability of the decoy to have a crucial impact on a K9's preparedness for the field. Jason and Drew have the ability to assist a group of students with varying levels of decoy experience and raise their competence in a short period of time. It is a great opportunity to receive instruction from individuals who are active in the field. The decoy course has provided my department with new and safe ways to challenge our K9 partners and prepare them for greater field success.” - Lt Niewodowski
“One of the best courses I have attended throughout my carrer. To these instructors this is not just a career this is a true passion. The knowledge I obtained in this short no nonsense to the point course comes from years of experience that can't be learned from reading a book.” - Sgt Pence
“Being a newer handler I had never “caught” a dog before this class. Thanks to Jason and Drew’s knowledge / experience incorporated with a hands on approach, I can now say I have a solid foundation to continue progressing in the art of decoying!” - Dfc Story
“Drew, Mark, and Jason truly have a passion for K9. With every day of the class we got to build on what we already learned and it was amazing to see not only my confidence go up but everyone in the class as well. Not only did the class help me become a better decoy, it made me a better handler. My K9 partner Zorro and I have been together for a little over a year and a half so getting the opportunity to also work with him was amazing. Drew, Mark, and Jason helped me see things in a different perspective and learned ways to help Zorro and I become a stronger team. I highly recommend K9 Engagement! - Officer Chelsea Kautz
“K9 Engagement’s decoy school was a very active and well run school. The instructors were experts on the subject matter and were extremely approachable if anyone had questions. This school was not only a great learning environment but it was a very hands on decoy school” - Kevin McGinnity Montgomery County, MD Police Department.
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